


whipstitch

by clothwaltz



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: ESO 2019, M/M, Role Reversal, exvalk shipping if you squint but not really, nazuna is here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-28
Updated: 2019-07-28
Packaged: 2020-07-23 22:08:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20015551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clothwaltz/pseuds/clothwaltz
Summary: "Shumika au with personalities or/and senpai/underclassmate relation reversed."Mika was all sound and fury, a whirlwind of fabric and gestures. He was invigorated, alive, the rusty clockwork churning to life.





	whipstitch

"..Kagehira."

He didn't respond right away. To be fair, he had a thumbtack in between his teeth, both hands busy finding purchase for a makeshift poster on the board, plastered with worn and outdated fliers. With a grunt, Mika pins it where he feels is most satisfactory, stepping back and admiring his work.

"I don't think we should be having a live so soon.. Again." Shu shifted on his feet, hand petting down Mademoiselle's dress.

"..Do you not want to?"

"It's not that I don't want to, but-" He felt annoyance making his words come out tensely, so he paused for a moment. "We are throwing ourselves aimlessly around with no goal in mind. Surely you can see that?"

"Do we need a goal?" Mika answered. "If we can perform, we'll perform. Valkyrie can continue to exist like that."

Shu didn’t know how to respond, so he went silent.

-

Mika was all sound and fury, a whirlwind of fabric and gestures. He was invigorated, alive, the rusty clockwork churning to life.

And fine were splitting at the seams, Eichi their undoing. Their plans came apart and revealed they were surprisingly rather unprepared for Valkyrie’s presence on this stage tonight. What did they expect, with Eichi trying to rile them up? The crowd’s penlights flashed like waves at the shore, and despite the overwhelming number of their colors corresponding to the enemy’s, Shu felt like they were so far away that it was a distant concern in his mind.

What mattered the most is that Mika was here again, with him. The body was always there, but the spirit and the mind was not. Up until now.

Was it because Nazuna and his kids were threatened? Or was it all for the sake of pride? Was the sucker punch Mika delivered upon Eichi for talking down to his apprentice not enough?

One thing he knew for certain is that he was doing this out of love. And if Mika was learning to love again..

Then he would continue to sing right by his side. It was all worth it if Mika had wanted this all along.

-

“What are you doing here, traitor?!”

Shu felt something at his sleeve. He pulled his hand away sharply.

“...Itsuki,” Nazuna said, voice uneven, and expression hard to discern through the mixed emotions laid bare upon it. Even if Shu detected no malice in his eyes- or even in his actions-

“Why do you associate yourself with us knowing full well you’ve turned your back on us?” Shu hissed, taking a step forward, making Nazuna take a step back. "You can play innocent and carefree all you want, but I won't fall for your tricks!"

Mika was too weak with exhaustion to stop Shu, but he tried again to grasp and tug him back. Anzu and Makoto exchanged a nervous glance.

Nazuna shook his head. "Itsuki," he began again, "I'm sorry. You can hate me all you want, but I couldn't let Mik-" He stumbles. "..I couldn't let Kagehira just lie there outside. I didn't do this as a former member of Valkyrie, but just as someone who saw someone else in trouble."

Shu narrowed his eyes, clearly still hostile, but listening to his plead regardless.

"..I promise I don't have any bad intentions." Nazuna crossed his hands behind him. "I promise I never meant to harm anyone." His voice was small.

"Get out," Shu abruptly spoke. "All of you."

Hurt welled up on Nazuna's face. Then, it transformed into guilt, and finally saddened acceptance. "..Please take care of him for me." When he turned and left, having nothing else to say, the rest quickly followed suit, unable to stand the tension still lingering in the room.

..Shu's shoulders dropped. In the silence, he could hear Mika's sickly, uneven breath.

-

"Oii, Shu!"

The sun beat down on the tartan track, the heat haze baking the air around them. A breeze was thankfully present to bring relief, and there was still a cheerful and pleasant mood among the students despite the temperature.

"Shu!"

"I heard you the first time," Shu responded irritably, looking up from the slip of paper with his theme on it. "It would just be pointless responding when you were so far away."

Mika scratched behind his head. "Aw, you coulda shouted back, ya know.."

"Not interested. ..Why did you run all the way here, anyways?" Shu noticed his accent was slipping out in his excitement..

"I was wonderin' if I could borrow Mado-nee," Mika hummed. "My theme's "beautiful girl", so I thought of her right off the bat. If it's alright with you.."

Despite seeing Mika in high spirits after what's felt like the longest time, entrusting anyone with Mademoiselle would not be an easy task. "Hm. A theme is a theme, but.. if you want me to lend her to you, promise to me you will be as careful as possible with her. If you drop her, I can't guarantee forgiveness." He crosses his arms.

"No no, I promise I'll be extra careful!" Mika nodded as seriously as possible. "She's important to you after all, ain't she?"

Shu hoped he wasn't blushing a little. He'd attribute it to the summer heat, anyways. "Make sure to take her in the glass case."

Mika smiled at him, grateful. "Thanks for your help!" He began to turn, but he stops himself, and then quickly faces Shu again, unzipping his jacket. "Almost forgot.. Sunlight's real strong today, and I don't think you should be out here without somethin' to protect yourself, ya'know?" He pulled his jacket off his shoulders, and offers it to Shu. "I know yer probably gonna be stubborn and say-"

"-I don't need your charity," Shu cut him off, finishing for him. "I just need you to hurry up and go, since I'm sure we're going to start any minute now-"

Mika sighed, and then threw his jacket around Shu before running off. He sputtered, and it nearly falls to the ground, but he holds onto it. "Y-you-! Ugh!"

After a while, Mika spots Shu again. He is satisfied upon seeing him having donned his jersey, and catching that embarrassed look on his face.

-

Maintenance.. right after the performance. A ritual they have comfortably settled into by now.

Shu brushed out Mika's hair, easy on any tangles. His leader's eyes were closed, expression serene, as Shu tidied his appearance and made his post-live signature scruffiness presentable.

He remembered his hair being shorter a year ago now. Mika had let it grow out in his state of distress, but he silently opted to keep it even after he had picked himself back up again. Shu vocalized his distaste for it at first, but after getting used to holding it in his hands and tending to it..

Concluding maintenance, Shu grasped Mika's hair and gently pulled it back, tying it up into his usual ponytail. Not too tight, not too loose.

And after that, they packed up, talked with the museum owners a little bit more, and trudged out into the warm evening sunlight, tired, but satisfied. Exhaustion was typical, but satisfaction was something they were both rather unused to.

He doesn’t really remember what they bickered about. The one thing that remains burned into his mind is the very moment, when..

”..Hey. Let’s go back home together, Shu.” Mika smiled warmly. He reached out his hand, offering it to him.

Shu took it.

-

"..Why did you name your unit Valkyrie, really?" Shu spoke, while watching the stage and audience from behind the curtain. Nazuna turned to look up at him, giving him a questioning look.

Mika hummed, gently touching the petals of his bouquet of flowers. "Nazu named us technically, didn'tcha?" He glances over at him.

"Aren't we getting a little off topic..? But, well.." Nazuna thinks about it. "Back when we first met, and you were trying to rope me into your unit, you talked me about how you wanted to use Valkyrie to help lost children, and reach out to people who needed us. You wanted a unit that reflected your beliefs.." He smiled." For a while before, whenever I thought of you, you reminded me of some sort of savior."

Mika seemed surprised. Nazuna continued. "I don't know what possessed me, but I was ended up looking up savior figures from mythology and stuff like that.. and I saw a picture of Valkyrie from Norse mythology.. I guess it was stuck in my mind. We named Valkyrie on that whim."

Shu shook his head. "That's.. rather meaningless, compared to what I assumed at first.."

"That's harsh.." Mika responded, embarrassed. "But I guess it's fittin', considerin' how thoughtless I was back then.."

Nazuna giggled slightly.

-

“It’s kinda funny, really.” Mika’s gaze was fixed on the crowd before them, voice a low murmur, only enough for Shu to hear. Their chests were rising and falling, and they didn’t relax their pose until the curtains drew closed.

Shu looked over at Mika, standing beside him, a little startled. “What’s.. so funny?”

”Repayment.. This event is dedicated to the underclass congratulatin’ and honorin’ all the work the graduatin’ class has done, but for me.. It feels like the total opposite, doesn’t it?” Mika meets his gaze, his eyes so clear and bright, glistening, almost. “I’ve always wanted ta thank ya from the bottom of my heart, ya know.”

He doesn’t know how to respond. The first tear slides down Mika’s cheek.

Mika’s hand reaches out, and it falls upon Shu’s head, warm and affectionate. “I have no doubts you can lead Valkyrie better than me.. Shu. You’ll continue to bless Valkyrie with your works of art, won’tcha?”

”..Mika.” The name stumbles out of his mouth before he registers it himself. His hand falls away, but the warmth still remains, both where it formerly lay and in his heart.

”I love you.”

**Author's Note:**

> title semi-inspired by https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OsECvkou5k


End file.
